My car is annoying. The on-board computer tells me when to add air to the tires, when someone’s seatbelt is undone, and when it needs to go to the shop for service.

I hate it when I find a good recipe on the Internet and then can’t find it again.

Cable TV is too expensive for what your get. NetFlix is the way to go– or just plug the laptop into the flat screen TV.

I give my dog a daily dab of Greek yogurt with her dog food because she farts too much.

Heck with the dog. I’m out of probiotics.

I ran out of dishwasher liquid on Christmas. Why were the grocery stores closed?

I need a bigger hot water heater because I like steamy showers.

Should I add a diamond anniversary band to my wedding set?

Fast food workers should be glad they have a job. Minimum wage is just a starter salary for teenagers.

My smart phone camera doesn’t have a high-enough resolution.

Dry cleaning is a necessary evil.

Why do I have to press “1″ for English?

Charter or private school? Public education is a mess.

Email solicitations for donations are annoying.

I have so many device chargers that it’s hard to keep them straight.

Mini-dorms and maxi-dorms are decreasing my property values.

Lugging bottles of filtered water into the house is a hassle. I need purified water from the tap.

Poor people shouldn’t eat fast food. Buying organic is so much better for them.

I make chicken enchiladas with whole wheat tortillas, and I add plain yogurt and nutritional yeast to guacamole. There, I said it.

It’s 6:30 a.m., and my newspaper hasn’t been delivered yet. Where is that guy?

Why should I subsidize Medicaid with my taxes? The government should take care of the poor.

Coconut Minis!

Is seven remote controls too many?

Hot guacamole? Yum, it’s great in a bread bowl. Just remember to stir continuously so it doesn’t scorch when you’re cooking it.

Gentrification? So, what’s wrong with improving the neighborhood?

I support mass transportation. I took the bus twice last year.

A wine refrigerator would be nice.

Salmon or halibut?

Mac or PC?

iPhone or Droid?

Tablet or laptop?

Verizon or Credo?

Fur or fake?

Fruity or oaky?

Whether you call these “white people problems” or “first world problems,” the message is the same. To all of you who are living near the top of Maslow’s hierarchy, don’t forget the people at the bottom who are searching for food and shelter– not the remote control.

As one year comes to a close and another begins, people often look back at events to reflect and perhaps resolve to improve their lives or change their behaviors in the coming year. In 2013, the Do-Nothing-at-All Congress— led by the nose by Teapublicans– continued its war on the poor– fighting forcuts to food stamps and unemployment and fighting for austerity for the 99%, while disingenuously padding the pockets of their corporate benefactors.

As Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs teaches us, people must satisfy their basic needs before they can become fully self-actualized, before they can reach their full potential. To put this simply, if you don't have food, water, and shelter, your time, energy and resources will be spent obtaining those basic needs. Until you have security and the necessities of life, you will not have the luxury to worry about trifles– Christmas gifts, video game releases, wine selections, fancy coffee, designer-label clothes, insignificant social snubs, political differences– in other words, "white people problems".

The richest man in Congress is California Representative Darrell Issa, who has a net worth of $335 million. How can he know what it's like to live in poverty? Has he ever tried to live on the food stamp allotment of $4/day? Has he ever had to choose between buying food or buying medicine? Has he been evicted? While members of the Millionaire's Club occupy themselves with fundraising, satisfying the needs of the 1%, and climbing the ladder of success and power toward self-actualization, millions of Americans struggle to meet basic needs, at the bottom of Maslow's hierarchy.

Keeping Americans desperate by off-shoring jobs, depressing wages, and promoting fear and division among those of us in the bottom 99% enables the upper class remain in power. As long as we allow them to manipulate our government with money, too many Americans will continue to live on the edges of society; too many children will go hungry; too many people will live on the street.

Progressives fought the good fight in 2013— pushing back against cuts to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, unemployment, and Food Stamps– while promoting fiscal responsibility, a humanely balanced budget, military spending cuts, peace, and revenue generation through higher taxes on the wealthy and the Robin Hood Tax on Wall Street trades.

What’s the future of energy for Tucson? Solar power. Wind energy. Hydroelectric. Geothermal. Nuclear power. What are the alternatives to our fossil fuel addiction? How can we implement them? What are the advantages? What are the challenges?There are a lot … Continue reading →

Closed Captions Eating Animals TUESDAY, AUGUST 14 AT 7:30PM | REGULAR ADMISSION PRICES Thanks to our community partner, Food Conspiracy Co-Op! “How much do you know about the food that’s on your plate? Based on the bestselling book by Jonathan … Continue reading →

“Glendale, we have a new office coming your way! Come out to our office opening party this Wednesday at 5:30pm! Meet our local AZ Dems team and become a #trailblAZing volunteer. RSVP here: https://my.azdem.org/event/map/98114” https://www.facebook.com/events/301138480642465/Share this:FacebookTwitterMoreEmailTumblrPrintPocketRedditLinkedInGooglePinterestLike this:Like Loading...

Hosted by YWCA Arizona – STAT-Stand Together Arizona Training & Advocacy “Some people think that voting has gone to the dogs, so let’s prove them wrong and have a party. YWCA STAT team invites you to bring your ballot and … Continue reading →

“All Candidates running for State Legislator and Senator in Legislative Districts Two and Three have been invited. Moderated by Ernesto Portillo, Jr. The focus is on education, come ask your questions. Free and open to the public! Hosted by Arizona … Continue reading →

Our next meeting is on August 18th, 6:30 pm-8:00 pm at the Murphy-Wilmot Library, 530 N. Wilmot Rd., Tucson, Arizona 85711. “We will be meeting in the large meeting room. This meeting is a planning and strategy meeting for direction … Continue reading →

Hosted by League of Women Voters of Central Yavapai County https://www.facebook.com/events/1921462437904567/Share this:FacebookTwitterMoreEmailTumblrPrintPocketRedditLinkedInGooglePinterestLike this:Like Loading...

“We’re having a party this Saturday to celebrate our new office opening in Nogales! Come meet other local Democrats and find out how to join our #trailblAZing volunteer team. RSVP here: https://my.azdem.org/event/map/98614 It’s the office with pink flowers on the windows!” https://www.facebook.com/events/288515001948085/ Share … Continue reading →

*Please note that this meeting is on the 3rd Sunday of the month, instead of the usual 2nd Sunday. “Carmen Liñero-Lopez with the Feminist Majority will be speaking to us about her work to energize and get out the student … Continue reading →

Pima County Democratic Party Chair Jo Holt will be speaking on “Electing Democrats and Looking forward to the General Election”. The Arizona primary is on August 28, 2018 so don’t forget to vote. Share this:FacebookTwitterMoreEmailTumblrPrintPocketRedditLinkedInGooglePinterestLike this:Like Loading...

Hosted by Presidio San Agustín del Tucson and La Cocina Restaurant & Cantina “Tucson’s official birthday party will take place in the Presidio District on Aug. 20, the City’s actual birthday, from 5-7:30 pm. Hosted by the Tucson/Pima County Historic … Continue reading →

The RSVP Deadline is August 19th The Child Separation Fiasco: How did we get here? The policy of family separation evoked alarm and outrage from the general public this summer. But this practice is merely the latest in a decades-long … Continue reading →

“Join us on August 24 to learn about the current status of the North American Free Trade Agreement, the opportunities in revisiting the agreement, and the current status of negotiations between Canada, Mexico and the United States. Mr. Lopez will also discuss … Continue reading →

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